Hotel Companies and OTAs Win Price-Fixing Lawsuit

On Tuesday, Starwood, IHG, and Marriott, along with online agencies including Expedia, Orbitz Worldwide, and Priceline won the dismissal of the lawsuit that accused the companies of price fixing.

According to this article from Skift.com (reported by Reuters), U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle in Dallas dismissed the suit, claiming that there was not enough evidence to support the claim of an industry-wide conspiracy.

The lawsuit, which was brought on by consumers from various states, alleged that the hotel chains struck a deal with the OTAs to publish one low rate and not to compete with one another. The suit claimed that this created rate parity and forced consumers to pay higher prices.

Judge Boyle said that she would allow the plaintiffs to file an amended lawsuit if they could address the deficiencies she identified.